From John Baker, a book that might be of interest:

1st February 2003.
I'm reading A Second Skin, edited by Kirsty Dunseath. A collection of stories and essays by women about clothes. Research. Wonderful. Some of the women involved: Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Shields, AL Kennedy, Helen Dunmore, Freya North and Margaret Atwood. Lots of others, not such big names but great writers. It's a book about silver shoes and stripy socks, purple crimplene, cashmere coats, blouses, zippers, basques and handbags.

I spent last weekend looking round Glasgow for the sort of place that Worldcon-going fans might want to visit next year. Mostly, of course, I was hunting down second hand bookstores. But Ken directed me to a place called Starry, Starry Night, a vintage clothing shop close to Hillhead subway station. Sadly I didn't have a lot of time to look around, and it wasn't one of Glasgow's better weather days, but I certainly want to go back and browse. I think our American friends will like it. There's a good combination of tartan non-tat and elegant 1920's dresses, tea rooms for the visiting of in.

I'm not going to post the picture this time, but check it out.

From here.

Can we blame Donna Haraway for this? Cyborgs R Us?

LiveJournal user 'jwz' has found a fashion atrocity. He comments I would have expected that one couldn't go wrong with chicks wearing tv parts. I was mistaken.

Office Blossom Gear

What I was saying about Japan's being weird ... BoingBoing reports Office lady uniform catologues.

A super full-color publication documenting the cutest blazers, skirts, outfits and different uniform styles as introduced to you by the hottest current race queens.

This and lots more curious cutenes here.

Pirates of Plokta



I guess I should apologize for not having thought to take notes for this blog on the piratical fashions at Plokta.con, but here are some pictures.

Eyes like two shiny acid-green pools

Just when you thought Japan couldn't get stranger, you learn about Mills and Boon manga.

[T]he psychedelic colour scheme is a far cry from the subdued tones normally associated with romantic love.

And while the hero's chiselled jaw might attract a British romance fan, the heroine presents quite a different prospect. Her enormous eyes, dwarfing a mouth and nose of doll-like proportions, are like two shiny acid-green pools.

So, er, who is coming to the Clarke Award and what are we all wearing?

(Don't look at me. I've miscalculated and all of my posh frocks are stuck in California.)

Aha! A costuming site that I didn't know about. Thanks Ken!

Umbrella Gothic Lolita

Check this out.

Eastercon was a complete disaster fashion-wise. Liz Williams was very elegant as usual, but with the BSFA Awards being shunted into Sunday afternoon there was no real incentive to dress up.

Blackpool, on the other hand, has a fashion sense all of its own, mainly involving acres of cleavage for the women and shell suits and England sports shirts for the men. The one saving grace was that I found a shop that specialized solely in shoes and boots with stilletto heels and which did not appear to be aimed at transvestites. Sadly it was Sunday morning when I found it and of course it was closed.

Mod-ren Girl

I'm not actually obsessed with her, it's just that Bart posts a picture of her every day at the bottom of his page and I have become fascinated by how different she looks in each picture. And in case you were looking for a prom dress: Take it away, Shirley!

It started with a lick

One of my LiveJournal friends posted an entry consisting only of "OMG!" as a link to an eBay auction.



It turns out that My Teacup Pup produces more than just designer sandals for dogs. They do T-shirts, and jumpers with iridescant wings, and knitted dresses, and Female IN-HEAT Cheerleader Short! Don't forget the accessories. My cats would never put up with this kind of nonsense.

Sweater Girl

Fabulous pop star Shirley Manson of Garbage has no arms!

An over-the-top bra



Well, I don't think this would look right under my t-shirts, and it's a bit on the pricey side, but...gosh.

Just to let you know, the Sydney sales turned up trumps again. I now have my dress for the Hugo ceremony in Boston. List price AU$259, sale price AU$89. I love Australia.

Drag for women

Had I not wanted to make it myself, and if money had really been no object, I would've got my wedding dress from Chantal Mallett. In her own words:

The collection ranges from simple, classic dresses in traditional wedding shades to more elaborate creations, suitable for clientele with a taste for the more unusual or those with a themed wedding in mind. These include a stunning red bridal gown in crushed velvet called Damsel & a, Diva like, white fishtailed gown trimmed with feathers & Swarovski crystals named Ice Queen. My designs are a mix of the various era's & styles that inspire me: from Medieval, Gothic & Elizabethan influences to touches of pre-Raphaelite & fairytale to curvaceous silhouettes straight out of 1950's & 60's Hollywood.

And yes, there are designs for those who like both froth and frills, and those who like simple elegance.

Semiotics

Just hit a minor semiotic squick with the picture posted below. Not quite the same as Avedon's, but ... it's like gender-bending and cross-dressing are OK but lingerie for men isn't. Don't ask me why. Minds are peculiar.